Ageuk.org.uk - Expert help and advice you can now be obtained
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The decision to enable people to get at their personal pension funds at the
age of 55 continues to confuse. Now some of the pension fund holders
are REFUSING to give the required advice for fear of being sued by people
when their advice leads to the (almost inevitable) situation that the
pensioners run out of money in their old age. Without a signed
agreement from the companies that they have been offered advice, many
people have found that they cannot access their cash, after all. So, for
many, the new situation is leading to disappointment. I wonder how long it
will be before the scam artists take advantage of this and give such advice,
regardless of it being in the best interest of the individuals.
Perhaps the appointment of someone with a clue about such matters will help.
The person charged with bedding in the pensions freedoms may be an all too
familiar face: Ros Altmann. Altmann, is a former director general of Saga
Group.

So, what are people opting for ? A small on line survey showed the
following result

Basically, for people reaching 55, they are able to access their private
pension funds (if any). They can either put it into an annuity (a regular
payment for life for which they should shop around as the rates vary a great
deal), or they can go for 'drawdown'. This means they access the fund and
do what they like. If they take cash, up to 25% can be taken tax free.
The rest will be taxable at their normal rate at the time they take
it. The tax man will see this as income and to make sure this does not take
them into a higher tax bracket, they may decide to take it at different times
over the years. They can use the cash to live on, pay off debts, invest it
in shares, buy or improve property - whatever they decide. But, as stated
above, if they want to do something with their fund they need to get a signed
statement that they have received advice from the fund holder.

There is a rapid increase in the number of people working on after the State
Pension age. As we all realise there are two main causes. 1. Many people
are feeling ABLE to work when they are older. 2. Many realise that they HAVE
to work as long as possible to keep up a reasonable standard of living. Either
way , in many cases, it is probably a good thing.

For a summary of the 2015 Budget see HERE and
for more on th pension changes see
HERE
(A video from Hargreaves Lansdown)

Budget news (Mail on Sunday 15th March) Not only are people
approaching retirement now able to use their pension pots (if any) in any
way they decide (instead of being forced to buy an annuity), from 2016, the
Chancellor is going to allow people who have already had to buy an
annuity to buy it back from the annuity company. The tax on selling annuities
(currently up to 70%) is also to be axed. However, insurers
who buy back the annuity from the pensioner would receive their monthly income
until they died. If this is the case then the Chancellor is both wooing
the 'grey vote' and the City at the same time ! Many pensioners will be only
too eager to grab the cash to settle debts, mortgages, or help the kids (or
take that holiday of a lifetime). But, as I keep saying, who will pick up
the pieces when they outlive their life expectations ? The average
life expectancy right now is between 78 and 81. That is over 20 years
more that the 55 years at which people may cash in their pension chips. And
the chances of living to a hundred for a 40 year old are around 8%. This
percentage is increasing quite rapidly, so many will have to think about
living on a pension for 45 years, having saved, if they were prudent/able,
for 30 years. But the fact is that the number saving for retirement has fallen
by half (to 2.5million) in the last ten years.Age UK has called for more safeguards after the charitys analysis
found someone on a typical pension pot who withdraws £3,000 a year from
65 will run out of money at 75.

Whilst I have serious misgivings about the new personal pensions freedoms
there may be some good points.Certainly, it was OTT for people to HAVE to
buy an annuity, especially as many offered a poor deal for all their cash.
Now, pension companies are going to have to sit up if they are to be able
to grab the cash. Previously it just fell into their laps. It is to be hoped
the the government (of any shade or mixture) will keep a close eye on charges
made by these companies.
For people who might think that they can get a getter deal by 'going it alone'
this may be new ground. Many will never have bought shares on the stockmarket
and will not know how to begin, never mind what to buy to provide income
without much risk. One cannot rely on advice from your friendly
bank manager these days. In fact many banks have been fined heavily
for selling inappropriate investment advice (and giving staff bonuses on
the amount sold). I must stress ONCE AGAIN that I do not give advice on investing
but I can quote articles I read. e.g.

"Patrick Connolly, financial planner at Chase de Vere, says equity
income funds such as Threadneedle UK Equity Income, Artemis Income and Rathbone
Income are good choices, as are global equity income funds like Artemis Global
Income, Newton Global Higher Income and Standard Life Global Equity Income.
But you shouldn't invest solely in equities. To help protect capital, as
well as grow it, he says you should hold other assets such as fixed interest
and property. Good options include Henderson Strategic Bond, Kames Strategic
Bond, M&G Property Portfolio and L&G UK Property".
But investments for folks like us is a long term job and, although they will
provide income, this may vary and the value of your holding may go down as
well as up. Tread carefully.

This terrifying chart of retirement needs was found in the Daily Telegraph.
It considers that people will need more cash if their working salary has
been higher. Whether you agree with this or not you may find the figures
(especially the amounts needed to save each month whilst at work are beyond
the amounts which most people believe they could save, certainly not if their
employer was not contributing (which is becoming the norm)

But it does point to the necessity of considering SIPP* schemes, where the
taxpayer contributes a quarter of the amounts put aside. I would suggest
that the majority of people are not even aware of this give-away and certainly
do not have a SIIP. In fact people earning £40,000 per annum can invest
the whole of that sum per annum and higher tax payers can claim as much as
45% back via their tax return. .i.e. someone saving £40,000 per annum
who is paying 45% tax would have another £18,000 added from the rest
of us ! This has to be the bargain basement investment which beats
all others, for the rich. Not only that but for some reason the tax man
also allows these investments to be free of capital gains tax !

U.S. EXPERTS (not just me) SAY IT'S A MISTAKE A respected American
think-tank has warned that Britain is making the same mistake as the US with
pension freedoms. The AARP Public Policy Institute said the situation in
the US showed that people could not be trusted to spend their own retirement
savings wisely. Academics said many Britons would blow their savings and
be left penniless, forced to rely on the State (you, the
taxpayer).The AARPs David John said that in the US many spent
unwisely, took bad financial advice or made mistakes and outlived
their savings.
Read more...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3026792/Pensions-shake-shambles-Just-300-staff-advise-two-million-retirees-new-rules-start-today-face-three-month-wait-cash-pot.html#ixzz3WeToh5mK
And, if you can contact an advisor, (very doubtful) would you trust the advice
of some youngster who has just been appointed ?
Manchester has appointed just six people to give advice.
In the absence of suitable advice you could get in touch with a reputable
company e.g. Hargreaves Lansdown and complete a questionnaire e.g.
HERE

Even the Pensions Minister, Steve Webb, warned: You can spend years
saving into a pension only to find yourself tricked out of your money in
the blink of an eye.

However, there are some beneficial parts to the new
arrangements:
Up until April 6th, if your drew your pension (the main ways are via an annuity
or income drawdown), then anything paid out to your surviving beneficiaries
was subject to income tax if taken as income, or a (punitive) 55% flat-rate
tax if taken as a lump sum. In the case of income, this could only
be paid to someone financially dependent on you, for instance a spouse or
dependent child. Under the new rules, regardless of whether you have started
to draw a pension, your remaining fund can be passed on tax-free to a nominated
beneficiary, if you die before the age of 75. They can
use it to provide a tax-free income or a tax-free lump sum, and they no
longer need to be financially dependent on you. If you die on or after the age of 75, (for some arbitrary reason)
the beneficiary can receive the pension, subject to tax at their highest
marginal rate if taken as income. Pensions usually fall outside an estate,
and thus are free of inheritance tax.

So, although the Chancellor has made it possible to pass pension wealth on
in a more tax-efficient manner (especially for those who die . tax treatment
will depend on your individual circumstances. As the average life expectancy
at age 65 in the UK is 86.2 for men and 88.9 for women, the government estimates
most people will survive the age 75 threshold, and thus bring in tax receipts
when they die. So, he is not being so generous after all !.

BTW. Up to the age of 75,you are allowed to pay in up to £40.000 per
annum (!) into a pension scheme (with a lifetime allowance, which is currently
set at £1.25m): anything over this is subject to a tax charge of up
to 55%. As the tax man adds 20% to pension contributions this is costing
the rest of us a tidy sum, especially if you are rich enough to add the maximum
each year. In fact the contributor would only add £32,000 and the tax
man would put in £8000 p.a. I wonder how many readers are getting
£8000 per annum BACK from the tax man !

March 2015 Money, money money ! Savings are still
in the doldrums, apart from the Pensioner's Bonds, which are still on sale
at 2.8% amd 4%. Even the longer (3 year) term does not really
tie you up as the penalty for cashing some of it only costs 90 days interest
of the sum withdrawn. Elsewhere banks and building societies are being
more generous with current accounts in order to lure new business. For easy
access the NS and I on-line ISA is one of the best at 1.5%. One wonders how
long that will last.No transfers but £15,000 this year and another
£15,240 in April 2015.

The Which Magazine has produced a document about the new pension pot arrangement.
It can be downloaded from
HERE
You will need the Acrobat Reader to read and print it.

I just had my statement of next year's State Pension with a booklet attempting
to explain the (still) complex structure of other pension benefits. A good
read but, as you probably have one, I will not attempt to clarify it here.
In general benefits rise by 2.5%. Make sure you are getting what you
are due at
www.gov.uk/calculate-state-pension

Jan 2015
Despite my misgivings about the new rules on pension pots (I fear that
the granny buying a Lambourghini cartoons are a bit nearer the mark than
they realise) I do suggest that people who have the option to cash in their
pension (over 55s) take a look at
http://www.theguardian.com/money/2015/jan/05/pension-planning-retirement-annuity-new-rules
After all, who am I to say that people shouldn't splurge it all on a world
cruise and leave the taxpayer to pick up the bill for keeping them until
they are 90 ? It is what is called 'Human Nature'. In the end
it will turn out to be the worst decision this Chancellor, or this government,
has ever made. But they will not be here to pick up the pieces. It
will be the children of the world cruisers. "Eat drink and be merry for tomorrow
we might die")
The suggested 30 mins of free advice suggested does not appear to be
adequate according to the site www.unbiased.co.uk And the handful of
underpaid and inexperienced advisers being appointed to help people decide
what to do with their pension fund will be sore pressed to give everyone
five minutes apiece.
It may seem sensible to clear an outstanding mortgage - despite that being
the cheapest way to borrow cash. Probably better to pay off the nefarious
credit card debt at 18%.
But we must keep the government to promises about reducing rip-off charges
on annuities. It really should not be necessary for retirees to have
to shop around to get a reasonable
deal..Pensions minister Steve Webb railed
against 'rip-off charges' on work schemes as he confirmed a 0.75 per cent
cap would be in place for auto-enrolled staff by next
April."People have had a 'raw deal
from the market for too long', with their savings whittled away by high or
needless charges they might not even know about, according to Webb."

According to Investment company, Hargreaves Lansdown : New pension rules
change how pensions are taxed on death, and who can inherit them. Under the
old and existing rules, once you had started to draw your pension (the main
ways are via an annuity or income drawdown), then anything paid out to your
surviving beneficiaries was subject to income tax if taken as income, or
a 55% flat-rate tax if taken as a lump sum. In the case of income, this could
only be paid to someone financially dependent on you, for instance a spouse
or dependent child. Under the new rules, regardless of whether you have started
to draw a pension, your remaining fund can be passed on tax-free after 6
April, if you die before the age of 75. Your nominated beneficiary can use
it to provide a tax-free income or a tax-free lump sum, and no longer needs
to be financially dependent on you. If you die on or after the age of 75,
the beneficiary can receive the pension, subject to tax at their highest
marginal rate if taken as income. Pensions usually fall outside an estate,
and thus are free of inheritance tax.

The Autumn Statement from the Chancellor unveiled a few surprises but the
majority will not come into force until April 2015.. There is quite a change
in the way Stamp Duty will be charged - replacing the very crude method used
at present. The duty on the sale of houses valued at less than
£125,000 will still be nil. But up to £250,000 this
will fall to 2% but only on the additional £125,000.
Previously it was3% charged on the whole of the
£250,000. The next band will be at 5% , then 10%. Over £1.5
Million it is a swingeing 12% (i.e. a Mansion Tax).

The full new State Pension will eventually rise to at least £151.25
per week, the actual amount to be published in the Autumn of 2015..

A big change is expected to the (complex) tax charged to nominated beneficiaries
of pension funds (death benefits).See
https://www.gov.uk/tax-on-pension-death-benefits
This is currently set at 55% if the spouse dies before 75.
It is to be
abolished.. If the spouse dies after 75 the nominated beneficiary
will pay tax at their marginal rate. But the new rules are complex.
Please read
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pension-reforms-eight-things-you-should-know n.b. Although the new rules will be implemented from April 2015,
to some extent, it is retrospective and depends, not upon the date of death
but upon the payment being made after April.

The personal tax allowance will rise a little next April. The higher rate
threshold will rise by the rate of inflation.

The Health Secretary has said that GPs will be rated according to how they
treat patients over 60. Those not up to scratch will be given a red rating
on the NHS Choices website. The Royal College of GPs has called this 'a blunt
instrument'. And so it may be. One of the criteria for a red rating is the
percentage of older patients who are sent off to hospital. It seems the fewer
the better. One does wonder whether this move is more about taking pressure
of the hospitals and A & E departments rather than a concern for older
people. After all, it may dissuade a GP from sending a patient to hospital,
where this might be the best thing in the circumstances. Many hospitals
are essentially insolvent. It is time that we realised that if we want a
good hospital service we have to pay for it. Most countries with national
health services (and we are not alone) do this from taxes.
In fact the first stab at rating surgeries had immediate flack from
those surgeries (as one might expect) and the QCC (Quality Care Commission)
was sent away with its tail between its legs to have another think, which
they are in the process of doing.

Another strange ruling for GPs is that their practice can get a 'bonus' for
every dementia suffer they find (though the assessment is not finally made
by the doctor and normally will depend on a brain scan. But I now
understand why - out of the blue - the nurse started to test my memory !

How's this for instant legislation ?! The first stage of the overhaul
of pensions, announced in the 2012 Budget, has already come
into force, with retirees given greater access to their pension pots.
New pensioners are now allowed to take a maximum of £30,000
from their pension savings as a lump sum, up from £18,000. This is an
interim arrangement before full flexibility over pension savings takes effect
next April.(2015) although those with a guaranteed pension income of more
than £12,000 a year can draw down an unlimited amount from their pension
pot. Previously, pension income needed to be more than
£20,000.. Previously a small pension pot, among various savings
pension pots, was judged to be less than £2,000.. From Mail on Sunday
"Final salary schemes, also know as defined benefit, paying a guaranteed
income, usually based on length of service and final salary ..... are
excluded from the new rules on drawdown, so will not be affected by the
new rules in April 2015".

For an explanation of the new pension fund arrangement see my
page at PENSIONS.HTM. This does NOT cover STATE
pensions

n.b. The Pensions Regulator, which oversees workplace schemes, will argue
at the High Court that "pension liberation" schemes should be declared illegal.
Currently, liberation schemes are seen as vehicles that cause pension savers
to break tax rules, rather than illegal. Savers who are persuaded to transfer
their pensions to liberation schemes (before the age of 55) face losing more
than half of their savings in tax penalties. But the court case could see
liberation operations declared "invalid" pension schemes, which would in
effect ban them from operating.

Download and print the October 2014 update to the pension rules from
Investment company, Hargreaves Lansdown,HERE

Summary: From April 2015, people who can access their pension
pots have three main choices: Withdrawal all their pension money immediately;
leave it invested and take income when required; or buy an annuity. If you
pay tax, part of the withdrawal will be liable for income tax. People who
have already bought annuities are excluded from the new freedoms.
Incidentally, the original Budget document suggested that the access age
for pensions would rise from 55 to 57 in 2018, rather than the intentioned
2028. This was a typo!. It is not just us that make them.

To help people with their pension decisions, free guidance will be made available
by independent organisations, including the Pensions Advisory Service
and the Money Advice Service. It will be paid for through a levy
on the financial services industry. Pension fees will be capped at 0.75pc
a year next April (2015).
Thye Telegraph thinks that the tax relief incentive on pension saving will
be axed by whichever party is elected next year. The relief is from 20% to
45% and mainly helps the better off. It is also a loss to the Treasury.

Update. In the end this was not axed but the total amount that
can be salted away is being reduced progressively. This is not surprising
as the total cost in lost taxes is around £50 billion ! (more than the
Defence Butget). And most of the allowance is being given to people who could
easily afford to pay the tax.

How to save paying tax under the present rules from next April
Extracted from the
(Daily
Telegraph)

Loophole 1: How a low-earning pensioner could claim from £500
to £2,000 - every year
Say you are over 55 and have already drawn your company pension. You can
still invest up to £10,000 per year into a pension, attracting tax relief
by doing so. You'll need to earn at least £10,000 a year to invest this
much.
1) You actually only pay £8,000 into a pension. This gets topped up
to £10,000 thanks to 20pc tax relief.
2) You immediately withdraw the money. The first 25pc (£2,500) is tax-free,
the rest is taxed as income. If you pay 20pc tax on £7,500, that would
be £1,500, still giving you a clear £500 for your troubles. But
an individual's tax allowance is £10,000 for this tax year, so lower
earners won't pay that much tax. When married couples live together and can
share expenditure it could be even easier to make the most of this.
You can repeat this year after year, as long as your earnings qualify.

Loophole 2
Take the scenario of a married couple (both over 55) where the husband is
still working and earns a high enough wage to pay tax at 40pc. The wife isn't
working and has little or no income.Everyone can claim tax relief on pension contributions, based
on the rate of tax you pay. But even non-earners can claim basic-rate
relief of 20pc on pension contributions of up to a total £3,600 per
year. That £3,600 figure includes the 20pc tax relief.
1) The wife pays £2,880 into her pension and the taxman tops it up to
£3,600 - that's a £720 boost.
2) Step two: From April 2014, that person can withdraw their pension immediately,
keeping the top-up. The wife does that. Because she's a non-earner, she doesn't
pay tax, as the sum falls below an individual's annual tax-free allowance.
So that's an immediate profit to pocket.
3): The wife immediately passes the £3,600 to her husband. There are
no tax implications here because they are married.
4) The husband invests the £3,600 into his pension. It immediately gets
boosted by the 20pc rebate - that's £900, taking it to a total
£4,500
5) As a higher rate taxpayer, the husband can claim back the further
20pc (taking their total rebate to 40pc) through his tax return, netting
another £900. This is effectively like cashback or a reduction in his
overall tax bill for the year.That means an initial £2,880 has attracted tax benefits worth
£2,520 - or a boost of 88pc !

It is expected that the Chancellor will announce in his Autumn Statement
that the 55 per cent rate on drawdown pension funds due when the holder dies
will be reduced to the 40% level of the inheritance tax.

It is also hoped that the government will make annuities more flexible, allowing
people to take lump sums or take more in the early stages. Watch out for
such changes.

This is especially relevant because, in 2015, it is expected that a
lower paid partner's tax allowance may be transferable to the higher taxed
partner. ..July 2015 This is happening but does not apply
to people who already receive the higher mariried couples allowance

Because the Chancellor sprung these changes on the Insurance companies, many
of them (and the people they serve) have been caught on the hop. The usual
cooling off period for an (accepted) offer of an annuity is 30 days but most
companies have now extended this to help people who have just agreed an annuity.
If you have changed your mind in view of the new rules, get in touch
with your annuity provider.

Other Budget news From July 2014 the New ISA (NISA) limit
is £15,000 p.a. with no distinction between Cash and Investment ISAs.
You can even turn investment ISAs in Cash ISAs. Two problems with that :
First you have to have £15,000 p.a. spare cash and secondly, trying
to find an ISA where you money wont melt away with inflation. Frankly, I
think that idea is dead in the water for the majority. But it will suit high
income people as they can shelter their savings and investments from
the 40% tax rate (and capital gains on investments when they sell, I assume)

8th February 2014Annuities again. See
"Which".
Labour (and now the Tories) has said that they would set a cap on how much
companies can charge for arranging an annuity. This varies and can
mean pensioners getting as much as £400 a year less for the rest of
their lives. The Financial Services Consumer Panel even goes as far as to
refer to "Exploitive Practices" by some insurance companies. Shopping
around is important and Annuity providers should enquire about the state
of your health. People who smoke may get as much as 25% more and other
people with medical conditions that might affect their life expectancy
(including obesity) should make this clear when applying.

28th January 2014 The government is proposing to allow retired
people to improve their pension for the rest of their lives. Sounds
great. HOW ? Well, it works this way. You pay them a lot of
money NOW and they will let you have it back monthly ! For every £900
your give them now they will give you £1 a week more. Let's see. For
£900 now you get back £52 a year. So you had better live more than
18 years or you will be 'out of pocket' by the time you get to the golden
gates. But if you had £900, in normal times (not now) you would be able
to earn 4 or 5% tax free.. In fact the cumulative interest on £900 over
18 years is MORE THAN another £900 ! The government proposals allow
up to £25,000 to be donated to their coffers, for which you would
earn the princely sum of £27.77 extra pension per week. Hang on. If
you can get that 4% ISA, your £25,000 would turn into a total of
£50,645 (and 41 pence) in 18 years ! Don't believe me ? See an
accumulator

26th October 2013 Hot news: Welfare changes
for disabled delayed
The government said the process of reassessing people was taking longer than
planned. People will move from Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to
the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) next week only in certain
areas instead of the whole of Great Britain. Work and pensions minister Mike
Penning said reassessing people was "taking longer than expected", but
introducing the scheme "gradually" was beneficial. Or to put it another way : Labour's Rachel Reeves said it showed there
was "chaos" in the department
Or to put even another way it will be a 'Controlled approach'.
Claimants will remain on Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for the time being
except those in Wales, the East and West Midlands and East Anglia, who will
transfer to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) from Monday if their condition
changes. The government said the need for the alteration "only came to light
at the beginning of October as a result of our ongoing analysis of the
introduction of PIP and this would ensure it could be handled "in a more
gradual, controlled and manageable way".In a written ministerial statement,
Mr Penning said: "Introducing natural reassessment gradually enables us to
test the claimant reassessment journey (and give us time to recover
from the chaos ?)So, folks, it sounds as if there may be
a DLA before your get the PIP !

The State Pensionhttps://www.gov.uk/calculate-state-pension
Due to the rapid rise in life expectancy the government is bringing forward
plans to raise the age when you can receive the pension and there are plans
to link this age to life expectancy, which may see the age rise eventually
to 70 or even more. But my usual readers need not worry too much as the changes
will be gradual, the rise to 66 starting in 2019. Even now, when you
reach State Pension age you have three choices. 1. Take it and stop working.
2. Take it and continue working. 3. Defer taking the pension. If
you take option 2 yon do not have to pay National Insurance. If you defer
taking your pension, (Option 3) when you dotake it
you can receive an extra amount or take a taxable lump sum equivalent to
the amount you deferred (plus interest).

Sept 2013 From next year every pensioner in the UK is to be
given a named GP who will be responsible for their health, in drastic new
plans to reform the NHS. Proposals to change GPs' contracts will mean that
practises will have to have 'named GPs' responsible for co-ordinating all
of the out-of-hospital care for elderly patients. The plans will ensure that
patients are being cared for 24/7. Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, announced
the radical change, which he hopes will reduce pressure in A&E departments
as well as improve the care of the elderly.

Women who are 60 are now having to wait until they are 63 before getting
the state pension but at least they will qualify for the £144 a week
pension because that increases in April 2016. This pension delay also
affects their entitlement to get pension guarantee credits as they, too,
are only payable from pensionable age. To make matters even worse they will
not get a free bus pass until they qualify for the pension. But this
is a postcode lottery as, to make things even more confusing, they do
qualify for a bus pass from 60 in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland
and London. What a strange world we live in.

You can see a Life Insurance Calculator at
http://www.homeandlife.co.uk/calculators/life/index.html
Also the Yours magazine will search for the best annuity if you phone
0800 915 4711 or visit
www.yours.co.uk/annuities
. The service is free. Bear in mind that if you take out a single
life annuity, payments finish the moment that person dies, even if that is
a week after the annuity was agreed, In the case of a single life annuity
this would mean that the surviving partner would be left without that pension.
This is all the more important as from next year people over 55 will
be free to choose whether to opt for an annuity or decide what else to do
with their pension pot.

The European Court decision that insurance costs should not vary as to whether
you are male or female became law in the UK on the 21st December 2012.
From that date insurers have had to charge the same regardless of sex.
This applies to CAR and LIFE INSURANCE premiums and also
the amounts that are paid as ANNUITIES. As a general rule female drivers
will now pay more and those applying for annuities will get less. One should
bear in mind that an annuity is for life and advice at this time is essential
if you are not to kick yourself for the rest of your days !

Watch out when completing benefit forms. You can be fined £50
if you complete a form and, as a result, get more than you are entitled to.
This is NOT for cases of fraud (which get much higher penalties). No,
this is just for careless mistakes or misunderstandings ! But DWP staff
will not be fined if they make an error resulting in you receiving
the incorrect amount !

Laterlife also reminded me that anyone can apply for a loan to pay for approved
courses and that this loan does not have to be repaid until the individual's
income exceeds £21,000 per annum. This does not pass on to your heirs.
So, for many retirees this is a gift from our generous government ! As an
example of courses see http://www.bbk.ac.uk/
who run regular open evenings in London. If you have always wanted to
achieve academically (Educating Rita style) it may be useful to enquire what
is available at your local college or university.

The latest idea from the government 'think tank' on the looming pension crisis
for private sector workers (as the final salary schemes of large companies
are shut down one be one by their accountants) is to persuade companies to
replace such schemes with more affordable ones. Basically, this means
getting everyone to contribute more so their pension pot buys a bigger annuity
to keep them going until they drop.

One of the most important features of the 2012 budget was the (eventual)
change in basic state pension to £140 per week for everyone, whether
they have a full national insurance record or not. But check with
https://www.gov.uk/calculate-state-pension
In fact 1.5 million pensioners currently get at least £150
a week - mainly those who opted to pay for an extra second state pension
under the SERPS (Now S2P) scheme. It has not been decided what happens to
those extra funds, but I could guess. Some of the cash to increase the pensions
of those who, for one reason or another, didn't get around to paying full
contributions, will undoubtedly come out of the savings from what has come
to be known as the 'Granny Tax". This is the additional allowance (which
was introduced by Winston in 1926!) which is currently given to the over
65s and over 70s. At present, this is worth between £1395 and £1495
per annum (free of tax). This will be frozen at the current rate. If
this is finally lost, pensioners will have to pay (at 20%) as much as £279
or £299 per annum more tax.. There has been a strong reaction against
this decision to tax older people more.

Even the rise in the initial tax free level has disadvantages for some as,
from 2012, employers had to offer company pensions schemes for every employee
who pays taxes. Non tax payers will not automatically be offered participation
in the scheme (and will not have to pay the required percentage of their
wages)

Child Benefit From 2013 households where one person earns over
£50,000 progressively lost Child Benefit. Over £60,000 p.a.
no Child Benefit will be paid. My heart bleeds for families where a
couple is earning £120,000 p.a.

Plans to raise the state pension age for women to 66 in 2020 will be
delayed by six months to address concerns thousands of women would be unfairly
disadvantaged. But it is still intended that the age will rise to 65
by 2018.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-15289798

There is a new site intended to help the older generation at
http://ageactionalliance.org/.
It is supported by many other local and national organisation

On a lighter note, have you ever had an email suggesting it would be cheaper
to live in an hotel or on a cruise ship than in a costly rest home? If you
look at the Snopes on this it gives it a
True. One person lived on board
a cruise ship for 14 years. The cost was only marginally more than a care
home (presumably in the USA). But the accommodation is more cramped
and you may not make lasting friendships (unless this catches on for groups!)
Well worth a read at
http://www.snopes.com/travel/trap/retire.asp

LPA stands for Lasting Power of Attorney.
Anyone aged 18 or over, with the capacity to do so, can make an LPA
appointing one or more Attorneys (people you trust) to make decisions on
their behalf. You cannot make an LPA jointly with another person; each person
must make his or her own LPA. I have heard that the arrangement for
a couple can be in the region of £350.

So, what does "Lasting Power of Attorney" mean and why
would we want to consider it ? If you feel that it would be wise to give
the responsibility or either your financial matters or health matters (or
both ) you should visit a solicitor and ask what it entails. Obviously you
need to consult with the person to whom you wish to hand this power. If a
Power of Attorney is set up then copies of the document would be lodged with
your banks, building societies, insurance /pension companies, investment
organisations etc.

Annuities Anyone who has to buy an annuity should
shop around for the best Annuity Rates. Find the best annuity rates on the
market by using this free annuity information and comparison site,
Retirement Supermarket.
Another useful site which specialises in this field is
http://www.annuity-warehouse.co.uk/
Much more on annuities on next
page

November each year is WillAid month. Certain solicitors will help
you make a will for a donation to a charity. See
http://www.willaid.co.uk/

AgeUK are running a campaign to help millions of older people get money
that is due to them. Council Tax Benefit alone amounts to £1.5billion
unclaimed, which would boost the average pensioner's income by £728.
So, take a look at
http://www.ageuk.org.uk/money-matters/claiming-benefits/
if you think you might qualify. And, if not you, maybe a friend
is not getting their due. Useful numbers are Pension Credits 0800 991234.
AgeUK Advice Line 0800 169 6565.
Citizens Advice Bureau 0800
88 22 00 They are free from land lines.
The EAC (Elderly Advice Counsel )
http://www.eac.org.uk/ is
on 020 780 1343

Please note that the Health Sections have been moved to
Page 29a (mainly links to sites which give help)
and Page 29b, which displays news items on
health.

The Equality Bill will included aspects of discrimination against older people,
including such things as travel insurance, which must be based on risk, not
age.

From 2010 There were new rules as to how many qualifying years
you have to have to get a full state pension. You MAY be able
to pay additional contributions to improve your basic pension but the rules
are complex and you should study the above page and subsequent pages, especially
" What if I have a gap in my qualifying record.? In some circumstances
payment can be accepted for years as far back as 1975

Winter Fuel Allowance See more next page
(Pensions and
Benefits) N.b. Winter fuel allowance.
Men who reach 60 by the qualifying week should apply for the payment as they
are not registered as pensioners and could miss out

Age Discrimination Until 2011 the High Court upheld the
law that allowed UK employers to force workers to retire at the age of 65.
In the UK, a worker could be sacked at the age of 65 without any redundancy
payment - even if they do not want to retire. Age Concern /Help the Aged,
(now called AgeUK) on 0800 169 29
39challenged the rules. Discrimination at Work Act
which now says "All aspects of your employment (or prospective employment)
are protected from age discrimination, including your recruitment, employment
terms and conditions, promotions, transfers, dismissals and training". "If
you feel you're at a disadvantage because of age-related criteria for recruitment
or promotion policies, or if you think you're suffering age discrimination,
you'll be able to bring a claim to an Employment Tribunal" It would
seem that, although an employee could be sacked when 65 an employer would
have to be very careful not to discriminate against him if he applied for
the same post the day after ! In the words of Mr Bumble "The law is
/as an ass". Fortunately, the law on this changes on 1st October 2011 and compulsory
retirement at 65 will no longer be legal.

Useful, official, links about
Carers
(NHS) and
Care
(Government) Click on them to read and see videos.

Taxi Vouchers for disabled people. Although these schemes have ben in operation
for some time, I was not aware of them. Most Local Authorities are
prepared to give vouchers of varying amounts per annum to disabled people
who have difficulty using public transport. Most schemes offer around £80.
Do a search on Google something like Taxi Vouchers Suffolk.

Did you know that under section 187 of the Social Security Administration
Act 1992: it an offence for banks to take bank charges out of the accounts
of people who are on social security benefits. So, if your bank has taken
charges out of your Benefits eg: if you are in receipt (and totally
dependent on) of any of the following benefits.

Income Support

Tax Credits

Child Benefit

Job seekers allowance

Incapacity benefit

Disability living allowance

Attendance Allowance

CSA payments

Other DWP payments. then you should get onto them and point
this out

Since February 2009 a person has been able to inherit more of their
spouse or partner's estate if they die without leaving a will. Up until
then the statutory legacy remained at not more than £125,000
for a spouse or partner and children and £200,000 if the deceased leaves
a spouse or civil partner and parents or siblings but no children. These
amounts have been raised to £250,00 and £400,000 respectively. Remaining amounts are distributed according to the Statutory Legacy
Rules.

Transportation The Grey Escape. The National Bus Pass
scheme. Everyone aged 60 or over and eligible disabled people is entitled
to free off-peak service bus travel anywhere in England. I
use mine in London. However, this does not apply to coaches on National Express,
which did offer half price tickets on its Route Sixty Scheme. Unfortunately,
due to government cut backs the National Express concession finished on 31st
October 2011. They have now introduced a Senior (over 60s) and Disabled Coachcard
for £10 a year. This gives 1/3 off all year round. For details
of the more generous schemes in Scotland, Wales and Northern
Ireland see
HERE

You can still check whether there are any BUS (as opposed to COACH)
services available from your area at
http://www.traveline.info/i I
found this scheme especially useful on a visit to London

But see also
http://www.nationalexpress.com/coach/offers/funfares.cfmfor
£1 tickets on-line. However. DO NOT FALL FOR THE OFFER TO GET
YOUR NEXT TICKETS WITH £15 OFF. It is so easy to fall for this and
give your credit card details, only to find that you have signed up for a
monthly direct debit for a useless Shopper (discount) site. This will coat
you at least £120 a year.!!

http://www.ceacard.co.uk/ This
site enables you to apply for the Cinema Exhibitors Association card which
gives a free cinema ticket for one additional person if you are either in
receipt of a disability allowance or are registered as a blind person (but
not as a deaf one !)

SITE ACCESSIBILITY

If you have poor vision did you know that you can turn on a 'High
Contrast screen' There is a shortcut to turn this on or off. Press
LEFT ALT+LEFT SHIFT+PRINT SCREEN. Various alternative high contrast
screens can be chosen by clicking 'Settings'. Alternatively you will find
that it is possible to change the size and style of web page type. In a web
page see Tools, Internet Options, Fonts and also View, Text size.

If you use Internet Explorer use View, Text size and choose a larger
one or just press Ctl and the + key.

In addition Windows provides a magnifier which is turned on by going
to Start, Run and typing Magnify and clicking OK, but I find it confusing
!

It has various shortcuts : To increase magnification: Press the Windows
key+UP ARROW. Decrease magnification: +DOWN ARROW. To invert the colors of
the magnification window press the Windows key+PAGE U ; To follow the mouse
cursor through the magnified area: Windows key +PAGE DOWN. To copy the screen
to the Clipboard, including the mouse cursor press the Windows key. +PRINT
SCREEN.

If you have difficulty using two hands you can use 'Sticky keys', so
you can press say, the Windows key and E separately. This is set on
by pressing SHIFT five times
In fact, for people who hate using the mouse there is a great deal that can
be achieved with the keyboard For instance
Ctrl + A to select all
Shift + arrows selects text
Ctrl + C Copies a selection you have made by dragging the mouse across it.
Ctrl + X Cuts selection ; Ctrl + V Pastes clipboard contents to cursor position.
Home/End Moves cursor to beginning/end of line ;
Ctrl + Home/End Moves cursor to beginning/end of document ;
Ctrl + Up/Down arrow Moves cursor up/down one paragraph ;
Ctrl + Left/Right arrow moves cursor one word to left/right ;
Ctrl + Z Undo the last action.;
Tab takes you to the next field (in email or form filling)
Alt + any underlined menu letter e.g. Alt + F for File

Did you know that you can move down the list of links by pressing the
Tab key ? Then press Enter to go to a selected site. You can
also move down the page by pressing the space bar.... holding shift to move
up again.

The RNIB has software that they
can install on mobile phones to tell blind people about text messages, battery
level etc. They charge £150 to install it. Another rip off
for the disabled. Or, ' in certain situations' they can supply a phone free,
or you can install the software from a PC. How can anyone charge a blind
person £150 just to install some software! When, one day, software is
available so I can see what people say on my phone I imagine the RNID
will charge deaf people the same, or even more, as the software is more
complex.

Do you know about Audio Description on TV ? Audio Description
(AD) describes what is happening on-screen using the gaps between dialogue.
This helps viewers with visual impairments to follow what is going on. It
is available on digital satellite television and Freeview (currently only
via the Netgem receiver). Audio descriptions of changes of location, actions,
facial expressions, gestures etc give the context and set the scene, and
are fitted between dialogue or commentary to avoid interrupting the flow
of the programme. The BBC, ITV, Channel Four and Five are committed to audio
describing at least 6 per cent of their annual output. Programmes include
popular soaps, dramas and comedies. Children's programmes also feature on
the service.

DEAFNESS There are increasing numbers of sites
which offer subtitles or Closed Captioning (cc) Both the BBC and ITV Players
have a small S at the bottom of the screen for their catchup videos to display
titles. Many Youtube videos also now provive subtitles but, as this
is done 'on the fly', there are bound to be some 'funnies'

Warm Front Scheme. Free central heating installation and home
insulation is available to pensioners in England receiving means tested Pension
Credit. Pensioners who do not receive Pension Credit may still get contributions
towards these things. See
http://www.eaga.co.uk Freephone
0800 316 6011. n.b "Which" reports a large number of eligible people
were disappointed with this scheme as the cash ran out. Call the Energy Savings
Adsvice Service on 0300 123 1234 to check the situation.

According to the Saga Magazine 2.5 million over 60's are missing out by not
claiming their Pension Credit. See
The Pensions Service or
their A - Z
pagesPlease check these amounts : The government
ensures that single 60 year olds have a total income of not less than
£109.45 per week; £167.05 for couples. At 65 this rises to
£151 and £221 respectively (£7852 & £11,492 per annum).
However, the calculation is complex and savings over £6,000 are
taken into account, as well as expenses such as mortgages. The best
thing to do is look at the charts on the Pensions Service website. You can
apply for Pension Credit by calling the Pension Credit application line 0800
99 1234, textphone 0800 169 0133 (8am to 8pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm
Saturday) or can print a form by going to the site on line.

In view of governments habits of doing U-turns please check all the
following statements on the
Pensions Service site:
From April 2005 anyone who deferred drawing their state pension got
increases equivalent to 10.4% **for every year that they wait, OR you can
get a lump sum instead. At current estimates this could be as much
as £30,000 for five years' delay (or whatever you didn't draw + 2% over
base rate interest).

Examples of pension deferral : (1) If you deferred a state pension for
5 years, which would have been, say, £5666 per annum**, you would be
entitled to a lump sum of £28,330** + whatever cumulative interest accrued.

(2) A woman decides to put off claiming her State Pension for 5 years.
If, when she comes to claim her pension, the weekly rate she would have been
entitled to, if she had not put off claiming, would have been £105
weekly (£5517 p.a.) As she put off claiming for five years and
chose extra State Pension, the amount of State Pension she would get every
week would be £159.60 (£8268 p.a.). And, as women can reasonably
expect to defer for longer and draw a much higher pension for a great deal
longer as well.For a healthy 60 year old woman, who is still
enjoying work, it would seem very advantageous to defer drawing the State
Pension for at least five years (whether she then takes the lump sum or a
higher pension for the next 35 years !) ** Lump sums are taxable, by the
way.

** Please check all the latest figures

But be careful. Two out of every five people don't make it to 70 ! And,
in some areas of the country this is as much as three out of every five.
For longevity live in Cornwall and screw the pension fund for as much as
you can !

But, seriously, one can see why pension funds are in trouble with average
life expectancy (males) being around 77 and females being around 81. If the
above quoted lady just deferred her pension to 65, the total average cost
for the rest of her (average) life would be over £132,000 (and rising)
- and that was from a very low starting point. Even if our sample man deferred
to 70, the average male would draw over £200,000 'til he kicked the
bucket. At least he would have the consolation of
not being inundated as a result of global warming !

Overcharged by your Bank or Lender? See
Financial
Page. If you have been charged for insurance on a loan or
purchase in case you were unemployed see notes on The Loan Insurance
Business (PPIs) on that page.

Wrongly Rated ? To check what rating band you and you
neighbours are on click
HERE and enter your
post code and Billing Authority. If you are rated much higher than similar
properties you should appeal. I got my rates reduced on appeal. But my Water
Rate stayed the same until I opted for a meter.

HOUSING BENEFITS. Two types : (1) The GUARANTEE
CREDIT that tops up weekly income of pensioners to a minimum of
£132.60 or £202.40 for couples. (2) There is the SAVINGS
CREDIT, which is paid to over 65s and rewards those who have modest savings
but live on a low income. Anyone who gets the guaranteed element of pension
credit should automatically get COUNCIL TAX BENEFIT. Other
pensioners with less than £16,000 in savings may also be eligible.
Get a claim form from your local council. Council Tax Benefit for over
65s in need of of assistance with personal care is NOT means tested

Bereavement Allowance. This is a single tax free lump
sum of £2000 payable immediately to help towards costs arising from
bereavement. A widow/widower may be entitled to this if his/her late spouse
has paid enough National Insurance contributions and he/she is under 60 when
the spouse died or their husband/wife was not getting any state pension when
he/she died

Married Couple's Allowance Click on
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/incometax/married-allow.htm
You should be getting this tax allowance where at least one of a marriage
or civil partnership was born before April 6th 1935. For marriages
before December 5th 2005 the allowance goes to the husband. (For marriages
on or after that date the allowance goes to person with the higher income.
The maximum allowance (2009 - 2010 is £6,965 but this is reduced if
the person claiming it is has an income in excess of £22,900. BUT the
actual tax saving is only 10% of the allowance i.e. £696.50 (less for
high earners). If you do not pay tax and your spouse does then you can transfer
any unused allowance. If you think you are not getting this allowance you
can write or phone your tax office. Claims can go back as far as the 2004/5
tax year. ** from 2015 the married couple's allowance, for those born
after 1935, is replaced by the Marriage Allowance; see (and register) at
https://www.gov.uk/marriage-allowance

*******

Avoiding Inheritance tax. As from
October 2007 a substantial change was made in the rules governing Inheritance
Tax. Hitherto the value of the estate left by the last survivor of
a legal partnership was taxed at the punitive IHT rate of 40% if it was more
than £300,000. The 2009 allowance is £325,000 or £650,000
for a couple, as legal partners 'inherit' the partner's tax exemption. This
is retrospective, so it applies to partners who died a while ago.
But the exemption would only amount to the level that was relevant
at the time of their death and would be less any amount that they
willed to (say) their children. The site below gives examples and can
be consulted as to the level of exception in any particular year.

Before this change people where attempting to avoid inheritance tax on the
value of their house by means of the Nil Rate Discretionary Trust. If the
value of the house is higher than the new exemption this may still be relevant.

Nil Rate Discretionary Trusts. Though I am
sure you should check and arrange this with a solicitor, my understanding
is this: Situation: You are married and you wish to keep the tax man's hands
off your money when you both die. Your house (and any savings) has increased
in value to the point when you think that your children will be faced with
a large Inheritance Tax bill. What to do ? You set up a Nil Rate Discretionary
Trust in which you, as a couple live as 'tenants in common'. Your spouse
and a child can be trustees. On the first death the survivor stays
in the house. On their death, both of your IHT allowances
are set against the value of the house, and this double tax free element
is passed to your children. Currently this would amount to over
£650,000.

CARE HOMES and Retirement PropertyHome Care The government is proposing that around 280,000
older people and disabled adults who need help to carry out basic functions
such as dressing, getting out of bed and using the lavatory will receive
free care. Another 130,000 frail patients, including stroke sufferers, are
to receive support on leaving hospital, with home improvements such as grab
rails and panic buttons, allowing them to be discharged earlier. Doubts
are being expressed that the £670 million suggested will be insufficient.
(It WAS)

Dec 10th '07 The government has announced what it hails
as a revolution in social care. Money will now be placed directly into the
bank accounts of those entitled to help, meaning they can pick and choose
both the kind of care they want and who they want to provide it. So for instance,
instead of meals on wheels, an elderly person could - in principle at least
- use the money to pay for someone to come in and help with the cooking.
Instead of respite care for a disabled person, the money could be spent on
a holiday. Did this really happen ?

The rules on Care Home Fees Last Updated: 21 Feb
2009 (Daily Telegraph) People have to pay for residential care if assets,
including their home, are above means-testing limits; set at £22,500
in England and Northern Ireland, £22,000 in Wales and £21,500 in
Scotland. Those with assets between £13,000 and the upper limit pay
some contribution towards their care. The rules are different if a spouse
remains in the home, when the value of the property should be disregarded.
Often families hope that by passing property to younger generations they
can avoid its inclusion in means tests. However, financial advisers caution
against such a move. If councils believe properties have been passed on purely
to avoid care fees, they will include them in means tests, and the onus is
on the family to prove their motive was otherwise. Some local authorities
have won cases when houses were given away more than a decade before parents
went into care.

In Scotland, elderly people are given £149 a week towards any personal
care; they are assessed as requiring, such as help with washing and dressing.
Those in care homes are still means-tested for their accommodation costs.
Anyone requiring constant medical care should receive it free, if an application
to their local Primary Care Trust or Health Board for continuing NHS health
care succeeds.

More people are entitled to free basic nursing care. This reduces weekly
costs by £100 in Northern Ireland, £117.67 in Wales, £103.80
in England and £67 in Scotland.

*************

Where to live when you get older? This subject is very important
to so many people

EAC (Elderly Advice Counsel)
http://www.eac.org.uk/ 020 780
1343 provides a free, independent, telephone advice service to older
people, their families and people who work with them. www.careaware.co.uk Care Aware.
Funding /long term care. CareAware is a non profit making public
information, advisory and advocacy service specialising in elderly care funding
advice in the UK.Our objectives are to improve public understanding and knowledge
about the UK care system, to reinforce the rights and choices of the individual
and to assist the public on the complex issues associated with elderly care
funding advice issues.http://hoop.eac.org.uk/ Housing Options
for Older People. A grest place to organise your thinking about where you
will live.

http://www.housingcare.org/http://www.carehomesguide.com/
provides an in-depth search facility for all types of retirement,
residential and nursing homes.www.bettercaring.co.uk
Choose/compare retirement homes.
http://www.thegoodcaregroup.comThe Good Care Group is a professional provider of high quality
award-winning live-in home care that enables people to stay living safely
and happily in their own home, with dignity, choice and independence. With
live-in care you get the benefit of one-to-one dedicated care, something
simply not achievable in a care home. Couples are able to stay together without
one becoming a burden to the other. Our service is fully managed - we pay
the carers directly, give them professional training and support them
throughout.

HEALTH SITES Links to health sites and
health information can now be found if you click
Here

As well as the 'flu jab it is recommended that the over 65s get an
anti pneumonia jab at the doctor's. Just ask.
A pneumococcal infection can cause septicaemia and meningitis as well as
breathing difficulties.
If you want to check out the cost of surgery or dental treatment abroad take
a look at
http://www.treatmentabroad.net/

DISABILITY HELP

Bentley
Fielden(donated to my charity) retail a range of portable
wheelchair ramps to help increase accessibility for wheelchair users. They
stock standard, folding and travel ramps to mention but a few.

Glasses : Everyone hates to be ripped off and nowhere
rips you off more than when you are getting those essentials called glasses
(spectacles) There is no need to pay £300 - £500. After all
you can get your prescription free from any optician - don't be embarrassed
to just ask for it - and look at what is available on the net. See
www.glassesdirect.co.uk and
www.specs-by-post.com I was interested
that the latter will send you your chosen frame with clear lenses. If you
like them, you then return them with a photo, so they can pick the correct
measurements. You choose the combination of features you like (bi-focal,
multifocal, anti -reflective, light reactive, stronger, lighter, anti scratch
etc) and send them your free prescription. Voila. Who needs an optician ?
If you don't save £200 I will eat my fedora.

From July 2008 disabled people have improved rights to fly to and from
Europe from your travel agent onwards.

Shopmobility (electric scooters in shopping centres) is
for anyone, young or old, whether their disability is temporary or permanent.
It is available for those with injuries, long or short-term disabilities
and anyone who needs help with mobility. Shopmobility is about the freedom
to get around. You do not need to be registered disabled to use it.
Does it cost ? All schemes operate slightly differently; some
provide Shopmobility as a free service while others make a charge. This is
indicated by the symbols in each entry. Most schemes welcome any donations
you wish to make.

www.motability.co.uk(cars)You or your driver(s) will qualify for all the benefits of a
Motability car if your receive either the Higher Rate Mobility Component
of the Disability Allowance or the War Pensioners Mobility Supplement. The
benefits include a choice of 4000 new cars; insurance and tax; breakdown
service; servicing and maintenance; replacement Tyres and a 60,000 mileage
allowance. You have to pay them your weekly mobility allowance.

If you would like a Word Processor that tries to predict what you are
writing, try the free Open Office, downloaded from
www.computeractive.co.uk/downloads/
and enter Open Office

Do you realise that certain equipment can be bought free of VAT if you
are disabled? The following goods may qualify for relief

HOLIDAYS & TRAVEL This has been moved to
another page on this site. Click HERE

HOUSEHOLD (Energy, telephones, Insurance)

Another site that helps people at home or with their business to save
on their energy costs is
electricityprices that
provides all the up to date and latest tariffs on offer from all the major
energy companies in the UK.

I recently took up a local authority offer to check my house for energy
efficiency. We had wall insulation, done 30 years ago and wondered
whether it was still there. He checked and reassured us that is was.
There was no charge. He didn't offer to pay for double glazing !

The Energy Saving Trust can tell
you about insulation grants from power companies and councils in your area.
Tap in your postcode. The site also leads to one with information about
grants to enable you to install other energy saving devices such as solar
panels and electricity generating equipment.

OFTEL (telephones) also recommends
www.uswitch.com, who are allowed
to help you change. It only takes a few minutes and can save you tens of
pounds a month, particularly if you phone abroad a lot. Check for the cheapest
gas and electricity supplier. The
Energy Saving Trust can tell you about grants (up to £2,000)
from power companies and councils in your area.

TV Licenses. Free to over 75s. At 74 you should get a reduced
rate. Registered blind people pay 50%

Castle CoverSpecialise in
over 50s insurance. Car,
Home, Pet etcCastle is a broker. So, what's a broker ?
He is someone who will find the best deal for you from wherever it
can be found. He gets a commission from the insurance company (not from
you)

Castle have kindly sent me the following article :

LIFE INSURANCE

Concerned over your lack of life insurance? Compare quotes side by
side from the UK's leading life insurance companies. Click to get -
Life insurance quotes

Insurance for Senior Citizens

Insurance is important in anyone's life no matter what your age. To find
a motor insurance and house insurance policy for your needs for the best
value requires some on-line research.. Obtain quotes from a variety of insurance
companies to get the most suitable policy for you.

Begin your search for a satisfactory insurance company by enquiring with
friends and family. Once you ask an insurance company for a quote don't be
tempted into signing or agreeing to something unless you're comfortable.
We have got large reductions or M & S vouchers merely by asking.

With regards motor insurance, companies MAY provide lower premiums
for older vehicles because they may cost less to replace in the event of
an accident. The safer and more secure your car is, the least likely it will
get stolen or cause an accident. Some insurance companies believe
older drivers are more careful so they have a chance at cheaper premiums.
But some charge even more. Enrolling in a refresher driving course may be
taken into account. But most companies will not ask about such things.
As you will know, lengthy periods without a claim give the biggest discounts
of all. Some motor insurers even INCREASE your premium if you have had an
accident which was no fault of your own.

Home insurance : Safety and security aspects such as fire and burglar
alarms and deadlocks will give you the desired discount. If you are a non
smoker you may get an even better offer because of the reduced risk
of fire. Special offers are given to customers already holding an insurance
policy with a company for many years. Your postcode is also taken into account
and some insurance companies now increase premiums if you have made a claim
(but rarely give no claim discounts)

The largest over 50s insurance providers in the UK currently are Saga and
RIAS but there are also many other senior citizen related sites that offer
insurance as an affiliated product. It is also worth checking other well
known insurers. Almost all companies will give you a good initial deal to
get your business. And you can look at the cashback
sites for extra savings. Insurers who market themselves as over 50s insurance
providers are not always the best value and not always suited to your exact
needs, therefore general insurers should not be overlooked. Other useful
tools to use are insurance comparison sites such as Go-compare.

Security Tip : Anything such as a mobile phone, a laptop,
a bike or an mp3 player, will have a serial number. This can be entered into
the National Property Database through
www.immobilise.com . If the registered
item is lost or stolen then recovered by police, officers can search the
database and reunite you with your property. Items can also be postcode marked
with UV pens or SmartWater

WORK RELATED
Since October 2006 compulsory retirement under 65 has been unlawful,
as is all age discrimination in matters of employment and training (regardless
of age). They can still retire people at the age of 65 but they would be
in trouble if they refused to consider you for a vacancy the following day
on account of your age ! Strange legislation.
New Government statistics show that the number of people of pensionable age
still in work has reached a new record high of 1.2 million, up 7.8% on last
year's figure. This represents 11 per cent of those over the official retirement
ages of 65 for men and 60 for women are still in employment. The number of
women working has risen the fastest - up 9.2 per cent to 803,000.